What I Wish I Knew Before Decluttering My Home

[@ontheotherhand7627]

I think we’ve all heard that, “Your kids don’t want your stuff.” Here is another side of it: “Kids! Your parents don’t want your stuff. Come and get it!“

[@pjmurphy920]

So true! 🤣

[@RaisingTheVibe]

😂😂

[@peggyboquist495]

So true…I have a huge farm house full of stuff from 6 adult children! Oh, and my stuff tooooo. When I visit my adult children now I bring a small yet full box of their stuff with me. There kids get excited! Sofar it is working yet very slowly, and I am in no hurry….yet!

[@profosborne4501]

Amen, Sister! I have oodles of things in my upstairs closets and bedrooms that my kids "want " but don't want to take to their homes. Then they "fuss" at me about my clutter🙄

[@thatswhatisaid8908]

​@@peggyboquist495ooh, that's cunning! Go, you!

[@pamskinner9490]

It is so much easier to declutter when I can give items to people that have need of them and also are appreciative!

[@DoughboyLover1]

🎯

[@joanjackson5825]

It really helped when you said my kids don't want my stuff and you are so right.

[@martibee4140]

I was a seamstress & furniture upholsterer for many years of my life. I loved making things, & taking some old, ugly things, & making them look brand new & beautiful. I collected beat up old furniture and took it all apart, refinished the wood, repaired it, if that was required _ reupholstering it. Then I'd sell it, & I'd earn very good money for all the work I did. I loved doing the work. However now I'm not physically able to continue doing all the work I had done for many years. The most difficult decision I have to make is to give away the sewing machines and most of the tools etc, that I have had for so many years. It's difficult to part with them. After watching your video, now I realize how much I must let go of 70%of all the things I still have. There must be some one in this world who would love to have the things I no longer need to have. And when I am finished donating it all to salvation army or Good Will I will have room to have a comfortable place to live with my precious kitty.😊

[@CynthiaTucker-z7b]

@Martibee4140. I absolutely feel your pain as my mother used to do that years ago. Please try to search out someone who would be interested in learning how to upholster furniture. Perhaps look for someone whose just wanting to get started in this field but doesn't have any equipment. Strike up a conversation you may be surprised who might be interested. Then when you feel comfortable gift them with your gear if they'd be interested. I think you would feel better doing that. We made many trips to private charities and Goodwill after my mother and mother-in-law no longer needed their things. What we found out was the charities did pick up items but not all. But Goodwill was the most annoying. As we dropped off items they would turn their noses up or flat out refuse to take. Or their eyes would light up and that item was shoved to the side. We felt it was going be placed in a friend of a friend's home or either sold for some side business side hustle scam. And that was as you were dropping items off. Please see if you can be the person that starts someone's dream off by supplying them your machines and expertise. If they have to go... might as well go to someone whose interested in your life's work. Just a thought

[@joswearingen3507]

@@martibee4140 those sewing machines are highly sought after now. I make handbags that I gift and donate to charity auctions. That hobby brings me a lot of joy.

[@EntertainmentWay]

My mother suddenly passed away 6 months ago at age 89. I took care of her for her last 14 years. My 4 brothers and 2 sisters don’t want her things and I find myself feeling I don’t want to dishonor her by just getting rid of her things. Her pride and joy was her wardrobe as she was a great dresser with her conservative and preppy taste, always wearing matching items. I have my own clothes and my own huge wardrobe so I also, with all due respect to my mamá, don’t want her clothes. I have a niece, one of her granddaughters, who did want a batch of her clothes and happily took some. It turns out the waitresses at a restaurant she frequented almost daily, want her clothes. I’m doing this in phases as I already placed a batch of her clothes in a huge bag, and into the trunk of my car. BUT I haven’t been able to give the bag away yet as I get a little emotional, which I know I’m not ready to take THAT step yet. Fortunately, the patient waitresses understand what I’m going through. Plus I know they will love having her clothes. And this makes me feel as if mamá is helping others. 🙏🏼🌺❤️

[@JS-oq5go]

same here everyone wanted money, not mom's lovely things

[@pjmurphy920]

Good for you!! You have taken steps and that's what gets us to where we want to be. Plus, like Jennifer says in the video, you are making people happy.

[@pjmurphy920]

@@JS-oq5go I agree. In my 20s, I would have wanted a lot of things from my mom's house because I was setting up my own place, with little money but, after being married and having children, I can only think of one thing I would have wanted--a round, gold-flowered frame mirror from 1939 that they had since their marriage but, even that, (a sister has it) I am fine without as I have my own mirrors already in place that I like a lot! ;-) I agree that the kids mainly want the $$$$.

[@melodeeissa7873]

My mother had beautiful clothes too. I held onto some of her nicer things for a while because of the smell and they were things that made her feel beautiful. The time came and I was ready to let them go. Like you not all at once. The perfect person came along and I know my mom would have loved for this person to have her things. You will know when it’s time.❤

[@tazmrm0373]

That’s so sweet. Keep on being patient with yourself. It’ll come in its right time. ❤❤

[@louannhuber2651]

Taking a picture of items that evoke fond memories is a brilliant idea. I have a lot of antique glassware and serving dishes I inherited from grandma and other relatives and used to put out on the table at Thanksgiving. Haven’t done so in about 30 years and they’re being stored in a cabinet. I’m 72. It’s time to get rid of them but who can? Pictures can help.

[@pjmurphy920]

I'm your age, also, and am selling things on Marketplace. I had a beautiful punch bowl, embossed, with all of the accoutrements to go with it but felt so good when someone bought it and was so happy to have it!

[@Cindy-bee]

When I downsized my home at retirement it was an eye opener with all the stuff I had accumulated over the 18 years in that house. As a newly divorced mother of two I had an emotional attachment to retail therapy. Upon putting my house up for sale I rented a bin and had literally purged a tonne of junk. Much of it came out of the crawl space which I had not looked at in years. All that money wasted on stuff. There it was staring back at me in a full large bin. My kids did get to furnish their homes with the sofas ,coffee tables and other large pieces of furniture I was no longer needing. The home I purchased is a small cabin by Georgian Bay in Ontario. Too small for the kids to move back home.... I still had to get rid of more stuff but it was much easier the second time. I hired a professional organiser this time. Best money I ever spent. I still have clothing to tackle and small things that have made its way into my office space. And old papers that are no longer relevant. It's a process for sure but I am far more intentional with my purchases now. Plus a tight budget dictates what not to buy.

[@nurshark10]

Definitely sentimental items that are antique. My mom was a dealer and selected the most beautiful items for me. However, it’s not my style. I’m 66 and over trying to get a living space to accommodate her things. Zap! Sold, donated or given away. Now I’m starting over and completely decorating for myself with what I love and want suits my personality.

[@CatouMilou]

As long as you don't throw them away, you are not disrespecting her good intentions.

[@nurshark10]

@ Thank you! I agree.

[@KathrynK-h7s]

Going through it now, not just with my own stuff ( plenty of that) but also my mother's stuff. She grew up during the depression and was afraid to part with anything. She had downsized several times already but still hung on to the box of dried-out acrylic paint from the 60's. Absolutely no good to anyone. I tossed it with no guilt at all. She had a stack of maybe 100 paper bookmarks, most of them free in charity donation requests. She kept every free greeting card that came in the mail - two large cartons of those. Many shoeboxes full of recipes clipped from magazines. It's easier to declutter someone else's stuff. I try to look at my own stuff objectively like that. Two years into this project, and a long way to go. Your suggestions are very helpful.

[@Sorellarium]

I'm in my 60s and I lived in my parents' house all my life since my mother always said to me, why would you go take an apartment, there is plenty of place here for you. After she became sick and had to be placed in a home(25 years ago), my boyfriend (now my husband) came to stay with my father and I. He brought a lot of stuff that took years to declutter. For years, I tried to keep everything tucked away and neatly put in closets. But, then he started to buy a lot of CDs, DVDs then blu-rays, guitars, acoustic pedals etc. These are not garbage, but over time they simply started to be a bit overwhelming. I tried to limit them to our big family room downstairs and one spare room upstairs, but, it was still bother me. So, after my dad passed away, I started to give away all my parents' stuff. All the cristal (that I don't use or like), bed sheets (we had 40 sets for 3 people, my mother was obsessed with clean sheets), towel, dish towels, linens of all kind etc.... After 2 years of giving stuff away, many of them being sentimental, I feel much better and don't miss anything. I gave most of it to family members or friends who knew my parents and I know they were happy to get these items. But, I still have a lot of recorded tapes that my Dad use to record of him playing the guitar(I really seem to be attracting people who love guitars) and now the camera it was recorded on doesn't work and can't be repaired and it would cost too much to have it transferred without knowing if it was worth it. So I feel very guilty to let these go. But there are a lot. And since I already know that my husband will have trouble parting with his items, I have to make this sacrifice. But, since we don't have children, I know that those things will only interest me, so I have my memories in my heart and in the end, it's enough. Because looking at footage of people you loved that aren't there never feels very good to me. I have trouble even with pictures. I always feel depressed after looking at pictures of my mum and dad. But, watching channels like yours certainly help to realize that we are not alone in the same situation and it make the process much easier and keep our motivation going. Thank you for taking the time to do them and share your experience with us.

[@SoundofSilence492]

Thank you for honestly sharing your experiences. I am 73 and got overwhelmed with stuff that has taken decades to divest myself from; a lot of it being guilt for items I should love that don’t serve me now. I understand your comment about old photos being depressing. I’ve culled about 10 boxes of photos from two sets of grandparents, an aunt and uncle, my parents, and myself down to about three. I hope to get this down to at least one max, with a scrapbook of photos of my musician parents for my son. During a recent morbid conversation with a friend, we talked about people coming for us, and I said I want my dogs to come for me. She said don’t you want any people? I loved my parents but they were always at each other’s throat and no I don’t want anything more to do with them. Nor do I want my lying aunt or any of her relatives coming for me. My grandparents were lovely but that was a lifetime ago. I don’t want to go anywhere if my pets won’t be there anyway. I need to keep pushing stuff out the door and prepare. I’m not getting any younger and well I’m still able to I need to get rid of all this stuff and travel.

[@sarahcasey7172]

Had a jolly laugh hearing about your “creepy clown” pass-along gift!

[@WeAreStrongwithJesus]

Sentimental items from my son when he was growing up and from deceased loved ones. 😮

[@debdutch1520]

I have generations of things in my home. I have the most trouble getting rid of homemade items from my grandmother, mother and grown children.

[@pjmurphy920]

Yes, but if those items don't make you feel good when you look at them or pick them up, that's my trigger to let them go. Someone else will love them, someone younger with many years left to enjoy them and you might get $$$ from them, if you want to. I like giving to the women's shelter here.

[@kcarver0614]

I need someone to be with me when I declutter. I'm neurodivergent, and a "body double" helps me. You can set ground rules about what kind of comments they make as you make your choices. Know yourself. Give yourself time to grieve the changes. Sometimes there's a genuine sense of loss. Figure out what it is and honor it. (Are you quietly confronting your own mortality? Downsizing because of a change in financial circumstances you didn't choose? Does your children's lack of interest in your things feel like a personal rejection? Etc. The attachment to stuff can be complex!) Thank you for your quiet wisdom from your own journey and insight into the blindness of familiarity with our things....

[@janetwhite7786]

Wonderful insights, kcarver.

[@livingthedream923]

These were great tips. I’m 3 weeks in with “Swedish Death Cleaning” and at the age of 53, my home has never felt more calm and relaxed. I wish I could have done this years ago. I’m letting go of all the things I thought people weren’t “allowed” to get rid of….old glass Christmas ornaments from my childhood, high school yearbooks, my great grandmother’s china set. I haven’t felt the slightest bit of discomfort in parting with any of it. My issue is with my grandmother’s collection of cut glass. I want to get rid of it, but I just don’t know how to go about selling it. It’s a huge collection and hasn’t been out of storage for 20 years. I’m definitely not attached to it, but I’d like to see it go to a collector who will love it and cherish it the way she did. I’ll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I’m enjoying all of my newfound space and the way life is just easier without all of this stuff.

[@kawarthalakeside]

Amazing. I’ve been researching Swedish Death Cleaning and really want to try it. There is so much stuff we hold on to because we ‘should’. Good luck with your grandmother’s cut glass. I hope it finds a good home.

[@johnclaybaugh9536]

I've lost everything I own three times. I wish I had my yearbooks. But I'm also not mad about it anymore. Life goes on. I have my sports equipment and my kitchen.

[@livingthedream923]

@ I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it is to lose everything all at once with no say in letting things go. It’s really not letting things go; it’s having things taken. My heart goes out to you. Maybe your high school has a facebook group that you could ask around to see if anyone is parting with their yearbook(s)? High school wasn’t a good time in my life, and having them on my shelf was just a reminder of unhappy times, so it was easy for me to toss them. I do hope you are able to track down a set for yourself.

[@livingthedream923]

@ one other idea is to try thrift stores in your hometown, if you’re still near there. I’ve actually seen some yearbooks at thrift stores and even on eBay. Best of luck to you.

[@Nanatracie]

​@kawarthalakeside I've already done my death cleaning, honestly do it. It feels so much better in my home. I dont want to leave everything for my 3 children to do when I'm no longer here. They don't want all my stuff either. They have their own homes and contents.😊

[@Tinytea121]

Great video. You have a real sweet demeanor about yourself. I'm in the process of starting decluttering. It's overwhelming some days and refreshing others.

[@lesleyd.2943]

Your message has me smiling. It’s all true. Thank you. ❤🎉

[@terrikrause317]

Great advice. My hardest items to declutter are clothes that are too small. There's always the hope that someday they'll fit.

[@Cindy-bee]

I do that too. Some things are 10 years old or more. Seriously if we lose weight wouldn't it be more rewarding to get something new?

[@singerjo5791]

I do that too. I don’t like the new styles and afraid that I won’t find anything I like.

[@elizabethlibero1878]

Opposite I have lost weight and I’m so sad to let go of my beautiful clothes! I find clothes easier to part with then sentimental items though.

[@wendylang2360]

​@@Cindy-beeAnd by giving it away sooner, rather than later, there is a greater chance the clothes will be in style & others will want to wear them (not just go straight to landfill). 😢❤😊

[@FayreeenAarow]

The sentimental things are priceless!!!!❤😢😢😢😢

[@kathy888]

Why live your life as though you were dead, and getting rid of stuff that OTHER people, internet people TELL you to do. Perhaps you can make your own decisions, and you aren't telling them what to do.

[@paulinebrown6149]

You are reacting to a very nice realtor, TELLING you on the Internet what to do! What’s the difference? You are being told, very clearly,, what to do, yet you think others making a decision that doesn’t fit with yours, or the presenter are living their lives ‘as though [they] were dead!’. Really? Where have YOU been? I don’t disagree with the presenter in many ways. But, I an experienced enough to know that history really does matter, and not just family connections to it. Where I live (U.K.), the antique business is alive and well, and often the biggest market place is in countries like the US, with limited history. I have witnessed small historic (even household) items being sold at a price you could by and apartment for in the US.

[@paulinebrown6149]

Correction: ‘buy’, not ‘’by’.

[@wendylang2360]

Sentimental items are priceless, BUT what are they costing you - if the price you are paying is stress, strained relationships, no room/time for daily living, future burden for loved ones, etc, THEN maybe your priceless treasures are costing you too much😢. ❤😊

[@vbachman6742]

I found it easier to donate books to my local public library to sell in the annual book sale knowing that people would enjoy them and the money would benefit the library. I am a lifelong bookworm so there were many books and I felt great about donating them and gaining a lot of shelf space.

[@dadcochran852]

My kids already labeled items that they want. Artwork on walls, knick knack on a shelf, books on bookshelf, whatever the item may be they have a name tag on the items on back or bottom. If tag isn't functional we also have pictorial record of everything that is wanted. Each kid has a copy along with our attorney. Everything that isn't claimed can be auctioned, sold or donated. This is all reviewed yearly with the kids. Some things are added some things are removed and now the older grandkids are laying their claim to items they want passed on to them. Our kids also started doing the same with their kids as part of their estate planning

[@tazmrm0373]

Thank you!! I am 51 with 10 children and many years ago. I was frustrated with the amount of clutter in my home. My dear father-in-law said “go easy on yourself. Remember, there’s a lot of people in your house so there’s a lot of stuff” He was right! I often watch hoarders so that I don’t feel so bad -believe me I am not a hoarder! it’s just hard for me to feel like my house is clean when I have extra clothes piled on the couch books on the floor instead of on the shelf, legos under foot and don’t get me started with the laundry room! But, because of special people like you, I have a really good start on having a cleaner home. I do teach my children to clean and that does help!! Do keep the videos coming, they really do inspire.❤

[@loishare3413]

Thank you for sharing your experience, strength and hope. I learned, with respect to pricey items I had purchased, that every time I looked at it I was reminded of What a mistake and waste of money. I do not want to see old lessons every day, and maybe they are somewhere someone else actually enjoys them. Sentimental items: I took photos. I can still see them and enjoy them with them taking up precious and valuable space in my home......

[@pnwforesthermit4506]

I’ve told my kids to take what they want and then get an estate seller to take care of the rest of the contents of the house!

[@pjmurphy920]

Great idea!

[@monnalitta]

I may keep some pieces of jewelry for my kids, but maybe not. I have had a library of 2000 names, which is about 5,000 books. I donated almost all of them to libraries, Goodwill, etc. Yes, books were my weak spot. It took me 20 years to convince myself to separate myself from them. The rest is easier. I am not attached to nick-nacks. I will get rid of them. It was hard for me to donate the tones of my Mother's sheets, but some of them my daughter took, and some I donated. Still, it is so many things that must go - I have no use for them anymore at this stage of my life. Box by box - I am giving "into good hands" and feel good to see the empty space. it is a freedom.

[@pjmurphy920]

It IS a freedom to get rid of stuff. Good for you! I like donating or selling online and it always feels good that someone else will give them new life.

[@lou196t]

I just declutterred my rec room. The things I have most difficulty getting rid of are some antiques that belonged to our family or a family member that has passed that gifted me with an item. It’s true that my home feels more calm especially in that room that I can now enjoy more. Great advice as I have just gone through a lot of stuff. Some I kept and maybe in the next round it will go as well. It can be so hard for some things like a letter from my dad or a note from my mom, even old birthday cards. Mostly because I know that I will never get any more of them.

[@luvslyfe1]

We took photos of those things and let the originals go. We still have the memory stored if we want to look at it…minus the clutter. 🙏

[@colleenbrown3366]

I've always said I would have the World's tidiest home if I had never learned to read.

[@ashleighallen7007]

So, so true!!

[@pjmurphy920]

🤣

[@debramccafferty2918]

That’s funny! I started reading books online and I love it. I had to have a local library card first and then go from them to the site they use.

[@moiragallagher5857]

Good advice have been through decluttering in the past when i cleared my mothers house when she died in the past and when my children went away from our home ..it is hard

[@maritevans838]

I bought my family home and 3 generations of stuff in the attic and cupboards. We moved in after my last parent died. It hadn't been empty for 30 yrs., from my 4 siblings and parents. So I moved in with my family of 5 stuff. Everyone wanting to store but not take! Took me 8yrs then 2 more moves to get it paired down. My kids on their own, bought "their" stuff at Walmart. Gave it away when they moved, and bought new Walmart. It's a new generation. Nothing is passed down thru generations, no family heirlooms today. Once it was finally gone, it was a breath of fresh air@

[@lindaweber698]

I’m 73 now, retired almost 4 years. I’ve been working on declutterring. But those sentimental things are a sticking point for me. This video helps me tremendously! I’ve taken notes!! My husband has been a stumbling block too. He can’t let go of Anything. But - I realize I can declutter my things and other things that are not his, per se. I’m going to move further ahead in this after listening to you in this video. THANK YOU!!!! I’m Subscribed now too! 😊😊😊😊❤❤

[@knit1purl1]

Luckily we have a thrift store that funds animal care, mainly assistance with spay and neuter costs. They get my donations, make a great business and the funds go to something I care about. Plus they are 100% volunteer so their overhead is only store rental and utilities. Problem is, I also like to shop there and other thrifts. But it can make it easier to donate to a cause you care about. And I am decluttering.

[@thatswhatisaid8908]

We had a charity shop, which helped similar organisations. I've been taking my excess stuff there for about 3 years. I drove past the other day, and now it's a dress shop! What am I gonna do now???

[@randomnesspersonified]

I agree, some years back I took pictures of various things I wanted to remember before I got rid of them - childhood toys, exam pieces/pictures I had done for my school art exams, that kind of physical thing which you just want to be able to see and remember occasionally. Incredibly stupidly, I did not back them up onto a small SD card, USB stick or similar. I also had lots of photos of several years of my son's younger days on the same computer, which completely died and all of the stuff on it was corrupted and irretrievable. So, they are all lost forever, unfortunately. My top tip is, large capacity SD cards are very small and store a lot, so get those and back up your photos. Or, if you have a heck of a lot to do, you could buy a huge capacity spare USB drive, which still takes a lot less room than the physical objects. I still don't trust uploading anything too personal to the cloud - call me a dinosaur - but it's a nice compromise, the SD cards take very very little space and hold a LOT of memories.

[@jwlll-w2r]

Its deciding you can do this and starting to purge all that stuff that you no longer use or need. It was very freeing to move and eliminate all the excess and not leaving it for the kids to figure out. Excellent advise!!👍

[@MaryOKC]

I donate my stuff to give someone else joy. ..it brought me joy and now I pay it forward.

[@kathyo6641]

Thank you for the wonderful tips. I am just starting to declutter our home that’s is full of things our kids left behind.

[@ellenherman9543]

It took me 9 months straight...I was off work because of a breakdown....but I had to keep busy!

[@nancyevans1278]

Thank you for this great video! You have reinforced and reiterated all of the reasons I donated and passed along many things which I had difficulty letting go of. And you've inspired me to push forward on my downsizing journey. I, too, inherited so many things from my Mother, my Mother-in-law, and in turn from all those that went before them. It is really hard to let go, and it is such a relief once its done.

[@elizabethlibero1878]

Taking your time is good advice and I find if I’m struggling over something I keep it and go on to something easier like Tupperware. Revisiting helps me with the emotional attachments. I also think do I have room to use it somewhere like a shelf or lamp if not out it goes. Excellent video it’s a process for sure.

[@ego789]

Decluttering makes one's life so much better, even if it hurts in the beginning. THE most important message was: "your kids don't want your stuff" ... there are several items they love but most is just stuff that they didn't buy!

[@f.m.e.305]

Thank you so much. What is hard, is not having friends/family to help me with the task. It's the mental and visual clutter when I'm already in a smaller place and I cannot see through it... I do appreciate your advice and will work on those. Thanks again.

[@kattfranklin6933]

Boy! Did I need your video after watching many viedos on decluttering

[@bernicelycklama7619]

I hesitated to view. I was encouraged to keep on keeping on. I just might give my kids the Christmas tree ornaments they made in grade school. They are in the storage room. My daughter came by and rumaged thru my fabric unexpectedly. As the door closed I went dancing in the kitchen. It was one less thing I had to remove from the house. My sister in Michigan had this chat just yesterday. I have taken awhile to let things go. I have had to tell people NO I can't take those things. It is a work in progress. Progress bring the operative word. Thank you

[@MousyLeigh]

Love your style!

[@jenniferboudreau9366]

I have no troubkemgettingbridmof my things to others. Find someone who needs the item and give it to them. Your heartbeill be lightened knowing you helped someone. I collect photos not things when travelling. Digital memories are the best.

[@wendylang2360]

Just let that person know that they should feel free to pass it on in the future, otherwise people feel like they have to keep it forever - our burdens shouldn't become someone else's. Even if I give a brand new gift, I try to tactfully say, something like, "I thought you would like this, but if it not something you will get pleasure from, feel free to give it away." (The gift is not yours to have control over, once you have gifted it.) 😅❤😊

[@milajones832]

I am creative and I am also aspirational about future projects. The hardest thing for me is getting rid of the bits and bobs left over from projects thinking I can use those in another project. I often create by gathering many various items and then get inspired about what to make. I will go to get rid of craft things and then see a picture in my mind of what I could use it for; this is where I waffle about getting rid of it. Your video has me diving deeper into why I can't let go. I don't think it is the cost but the idea I won't be able to get something like it again. I waste more time trying to decide what to do with stuff than getting things done. Then I feel defeated, overwhelmed and guilty. Any suggestions?

[@LVSpeedweLL]

🤔reading your comment and seeing my own dilemma of art and craft supplies 🎨 🧶 and tools! So… I’ve been sorting through and donating the materials I’ve not been inspired to use within “one year” (some of which I’ve had for decades) Feeling these supplies want to be used and if I’m only storing them I’m preventing them from becoming beauty. 💐

[@HappyHarryX5]

I saved the crockery for the kids when we got a new set. They were teens and I thought they’d want it when they moved out. One took some, the other wanted new stuff (who was paying for that?) I left home with my clothes, books, movies and CDs and my dog. Never even considered asking for furniture or anything else.

[@97B-p7g]

I’ve just gotten through tossing 27 years of papers and files, and feel good about that. The only thing valuable to me were recipes and photos mixed in them. Now I will tackle sorting ALL of my clothes this winter, I have so much of them, good quality, but will never fit again. Shoes and old items go out almost weekly now too. I feel good disposing of an extra garbage bag weekly 🤗 The hardest for me will be leaving my lovely garden and huge trees , not replaceable items. We will look for a treed are to live in a smaller home.

[@joanjackson5825]

Thank you. The advice has really helped me.

[@grinning_owl]

My mom died in 1993 and I inherited her pink sponge curlers and net hair bonnet. I couldn't bare to part with them, knowing she had handled them often. Twenty years later, I found the shoe box in which I had stashed them; and to my surprise, all of the sponge curlers had disintegrated. It shouldn't have surprised me knowing I had stored the box in our hot dutch barn in the corner of the backyard. The plastic curler frames and the hair bonnet survived, so I placed the frames into the bonnet, rolled it up and stashed them in my mother's plastic sewing box. Hopefully, the day will come when I can part with those, too. Maybe I will just take a picture of them and send the objects to Goodwill.

[@karm9852]

What about keeping one curler and donate the rest… ?

[@deborahgeels5395]

I did the same thing. My mom washed and rolled her hair every Saturday. I couldn't throw her curlers away. I told my daughter she could throw them away years in the future.

[@joswearingen3507]

Being able to store all my clothes in one closet-worth the pain of purging. Family photos-the families and 100+ years worth are my biggest struggle.

[@kikir3917]

I used to have boxes and boxes of photos. In my 30's I moved a lot and got tired of constantly having to move so much. I bought a photoscanner, scanned them all in and got rid of the printed version.

[@pjmurphy920]

Me, too, photos are the hardest but I have been thinking of those boxes for a while now and feel that the more I watch videos like this, it will be easier. One thing I know: I don't need any pictures of my 2nd marriage. ;-)

[@joswearingen3507]

@@kikir3917 I have had the scanner a year or more. I’ve been purging a lot of everything else as I know it will be hard to see faces of those long gone.

[@pamskinner9490]

@joswearingen3507. I have two clothes closets and it would be a dream come true to have all my clothes fit in them - fall+winter, spring+summer!

[@DiHarmer]

ZZ ⁰RENOVATED AN OLD HOUSE, DECLUTTERED FURNITURE , PUTITON THE KERB GONEIN AN INSTANCE, TOOK JOYWHEN PEOPLE REALISED IT COST NOTHING, HAVE HAD LOTS OF GOODS TAKEN AWAY THIS WAY, THE HARDEST THING FOR ME WAS TO GIVE A VALUABLE DOLL MY SISTER WHO HAS PASSED GAVE ME WHEN I WAS SIX, I WANTED IT TO GO TO A GOOD HOME BEFORE I PASSED, ITS A SECISSION I HAVENT REGRETTED❤❤❤❤❤

[@kkennedy2987]

Love your ideas, and absolutely love your chair!!! Would look great in my almost empty living room. Where can I get it?

[@bluehawk7342]

If you plan on donating things to Goodwill or local libraries, check with them first to make sure they'll take it. Our library doesn't take encyclopedias,textbooks or magazines. And I doubt anybody wants Reader's Digest condensed books.

[@theresecook-bright1757]

I take pictures of memories attached pieces of furniture, Best place to put it!!!!!!

[@johannepalange7123]

Arts and craft supplies are very hard to get rid of.

[@tracy8836]

freecycle. its easy and the person who wants it will come and get it. we just gave away 3 beehives too.

[@kcarver0614]

Find a school, daycare, community mental health center....many will deeply appreciate donations of usable items for clients/students.

[@shirleypatten6212]

@@tracy8836 I'm here in New Jersey. I'm pretty much done with Freecycle because I can't get "interested" people to commit to a pickup date. Out of the last six posts I made, only one person actually picked up. And except for another person who contacted me to say she changed her mind (which I appreciated), the rest left me hanging. ☹

[@annah.73]

Thank you so much for this!! I’m very sentimental about my children’s paper goods ( art,little notes etc.) plus things that are given to me through the years from my parents etc. My husband and I are talking about downsizing we live in a split level house and it’s just him and me. But when I think about it it’s overwhelming! The 10 minute idea I’m going to try,working in one room at a time. And your right children don’t want your things. Thank you so very much! This gives me a place to start in the coming year. Have a Merry Christmas!

[@jamilgotcher365]

I immediately implemented the stop watch tip. I used the stop watch on my computer clock. It was just the motivation I needed to tidy my desk. I've used the stop watch while I'm photo editing so that I don't spend too much time trying to perfect a photo (I'm a photographer). I wonder if procrastination regarding cleaning and organizing has something to do with perfectionism? As ironically as that sounds, it makes me wonder if I don't clean because of thinking about I will never get it all done so I don't do it all. Or maybe it's just ADHD and I need the timer to stay focused?

[@Terry-cg7kt]

Dead peoples stuff is the hardest for me next is stuff I bought ...liking the stuff is not usually why I keep it. I feel like a caretaker of crap. I know its stupid. Ive bought alot of stuff for reasons of grief youd think letting it go would be cathartic but theres always that doubt. Ill get there. I know life aint stuff and roght now im so busy working or trying to rest dealling with the clutter chaos is firther robbing me...when im ready itll be fantastic. Oh and books are hard to get rid of

[@kaylabryson1932]

Your video is very helpful. You put it so well. Your video background is beautiful. It’s therapeutic:).

[@inthevortex-de1rh]

Thank you. I am having trouble letting go of books that I haven't read yet or I don't need them right now but maybe in the future as reference books 😮

[@kathleenrose4820]

Same!!!

[@lovefortruth3414]

Great advice! My parents cumminicate very well with about their things and will only give us what we will really use or pass on through the family. My dad recently offered me my grand mother's recipe box and recipe book. There sre a few recioes I really want and will be going through them with my husband to pick out the ones we really want to keep. Then, since I will re-write or copy those and add them to my collection of recipes. Once I do that, I will ask my aunt if she wants the collection or if she knows of any that she would like me to copy and send to her, and she can pass thsr onto her son and daughter-in-law. The rest of them, I can either find someone unrelated who would appreciate them or else t hey will go in the trash. Trash is the last resort, but I will mot hang onto recioes zlIwill never use. Some things are meant to stay in the family for more than just sentimental reasons. They are pieces of our inheritance and heritage (think land and property), something that is sadly being list in this generation. However, there DOES come time with everything else, where you have to make the decision to let go of something.

[@helenmcmullin9636]

I'm holding onto an antique tea set that, two years ago, had high value. I think people don't like antiques that much anymore, and the value is declining. Yet I don't post it online due to laziness.

[@wendylang2360]

Yes, even 'old' stuff (unless it is geniune antique collector stuff) goes in fads. Decorating farmhouse style or 1950's retro or mid-century modern - when the fad is in, take advantage of it then & someone else will get pleasure from your items, sell the relevant clutter, because soon the demand for such items will fade away & you may wish you had the money you could have gotten. 😢❤😊

[@sarabogren5223]

7. Really true that you have to think carefully before buying storage ithems! However, I found out it was very helpful to me to buy cheap, simple, temporary containers as my decluttering progressed (and collect food containers, my favorites are the clear plastic containers you often but 1 kilogram of fruit in [in Europe anyway] and the smaller similar ones for baby tomatoes). I bought cheap cardboard boxes from IKEA, that were bought and stored flat and needed to be folded. First slightly larger, then smaller. I have also used up a lot of markers, and found out that I save a lot of time by taking the time to mark my temporary storage boxes on at least 3 sides (long side, short side and top) or sometime all 5 sides, so I don't need to open them to see what's inside, again...and again... I try to have several markers in different spots, so I don't need to waist time looking for one. I started with a very "messy" /mixed mess (not all clothes in one place, all books in another etc.) so I need to start sorting into categories first, to be able to see what I had so I could even start deciding on what to keep, or not. Maybe you don't need temporary containers if your clutter is already pretty organised?

[@fayeprice5500]

Home aid ice cream to tase great starts with good expencive ingredients. Thick cream (whiped in one bowl), 6 or more eggs, flavoring & sugar mixed in another bowl whipp. Mix both bowl together in cold ice cream tank top with whole milk. Whill filling tank (second person) ice around tank and salting (make sure no salt gets in ice cream mixture). Close lid pore cup of boiling water (just a little) keep turning all the time. The direction you turn is to craper is pulling frozen mixture off side of tank. The taller and smaller diameter of tank the faster it frezes. Keep turning takes time. Lots of sugar takes longer to freze

[@pjmurphy920]

Jennifer, I love this video and just subscribed! I have been very interested in feng shui since 2002, when a friend introduced me to a book by Karen Kingston. I have always tried to live lightly and organized but, now, with my two daughters gone (for quite a while now!) and homes of their own, I doubt they will want much from my home when it's time to downsize or go on to the next adventure. Lol. The most difficult thing for me is photographs! I took many good photos of my children, friends, events for years with my 35 mm camera and they are in boxes, which I sometimes get out and look for something. I have been thinking for a long time to go through them and put the MOST important and good ones in a book or two, at the most. Thank you for your very inspiring video! I go through clothes, seasonally, and can easily get rid of what I haven't worn in the past year, (usually). I got rid of a few reference books a year ago and missed one or two of them so my new plan is to put a small box with some books in a box, if I'm not sure about them, and put them in the attic, which doesn't have much in it, except outdoor Christmas and luggage. Thanks, again, for a motivational video to get seriously going through my "stuff!"

[@pawcatsfly]

The fun or sentimental art school gifts or projects my son made in grammar school. Hes 54. I let things go after checking with him but it took me several weeks with a couple things. Like a calendar where each month he drew a picture for that month.... kind of hard but had to keep the memory, and let go of the paper 😉

[@Designs_Decor63]

I needed a boost 2day. Thanks

[@conniearonson4805]

How does one declutter when your spouse is a collector of everything? He does our cooking and has 8 pancake turners, 6 silicon bowl scrapers, 3 vacuum sealers, 3 freezers. It is just us in our home. This is just part of his kitchen mess as an example.

[@Linda_StitchingAtTheCove]

I asked my kids (and spouses) if there was anything they wanted from our house. NONE of them want the china, and crystal that was passed down to us, or furniture. After a moment of disappointment I actually felt a sense of freedom. I can sell, give away or simply throw away as I please. We've purged many times over the years, but we still have too much stuff. It's time to take one room at a time and lighten the load. For me though, the hardest thing to release is my hobby. I still feel the joy with it....but even that needs to be reduced. For now, we can declutter so our home feels bigger. When the time comes to sell the house and move on it hopefully will be less daunting to manage the actual downsizing.

[@pjc7351]

A key to home organization before decluttering is use moving boxes first. Buy the extra small, they are flexible and won't be too heavy. Label those then on your own timeline, go through them box by box and either save, sell or donate. Also, donations in boxes labeled with contents is a wonderful way to help out the centers that process those things. Bags of clothing wastes so much time for the sorters.

[@sarabogren5223]

One box that I found out was useful to me (along side the "MAYBE" box) was the "OUT" box. It was much easier for me to first decide what I wanted to keep [ Or, as Mari Condo puts it "Does it spark joy?" ] and what I'd be happier without. And then, some other time, decide what could be sold/donated where/"better neither". I also have a box for "object dating" for things I might want to keep if I can find "the matching half" (the lid of that pretty box etc.). It grew from an idea I saw in a magazine: "sock dating" [a piece of string on the inside of your wardrobe, where you peg your single, "lonely" socks, to make it easier to find them when "their perfect match" turns up. ] However silly, I also find it kind of funny cute. And then there is the "Is this something important?" box. Mostly for things that looks like the could be parts of some electric devices, but Im not quite sure which... (changeing cables, those lids/doors that hide the batteries and other things I'm not quite sure what they are, but don't want to throw away just yet,) I realise all those boxes will also have to be dealt with, and things that were not a match anywhere thrown away! But it's less overwhelming to do it step by step, or as my computer programmer friends say: ”Divide and conquer! ;) "

[@kathygodfrey3158]

The most difficult thing for me to part with was some boxes of half-made porcelain dolls that my mum had made. All hand pored slipcast porcelain, all hand painted by her. Half sewn dollies outfits and little shoes and hats. There was boxes of unassembled dolls - it was slightly morbid like a miniature serial killer's stash full of dismembered body parts, including a box of dolls eyes 😂 Every time I i tried to deal with it I thought of the joy she got from making her little works of art, the effort as she put into painting each individual eyelash and sewing little bloomer underware. And the fact that she never got the chance to finish them. She died too young. It took me a full TWENTY YEARS to part with them. And even then, I cried. I passed them on to a lady who promised to finish them. I don't know if she ever did. But they're no longer a burden on me. I still have some of her completed dolls. I STILL can't seem to get rid of those! 💔

[@Bitbit3427]

I am decluttering now and a lot of my items like my books that our church books or coloring books and pencils and even appliances like a mixer in the crockpot I donated to a assisted living place that a friend of mine now lives in I used to be her caregiver and they were so proud to get that stuff. So think about those places instead of taking it to somebody that’s gonna sell it for a higher price and it really is think about donating to assisted living places or maybe nursing homes where they could use some things specially clothes where someone might not have enough to wear. I feel guilty of giving away clothes that my sister has given to me she’s passed, but I still have those clothes you gave to me, but I finally realized I’m not gonna wear them anymore and I have donated them. It was a lot of tears, but in the end, I dressed someone that didn’t have anything to wear.

[@torhildsagenghansen6074]

The hardest thing for me to let go, is coffee mugs. I have a thing for coffee mugs.

[@debramccafferty2918]

Me too, even if I’m not using them because they’re too small or too big. My daughter told me I have too many. She doesn’t know about the ones I have downstairs in our storeroom!!

[@pamskinner9490]

I have over 100 mugs stored above the garage and more in the house. Would love to find a church or restaurant that would enjoy serving their customers hot beverage in them, or a florist that would use them for small flower arrangements, or even a gift shop that would create tea gifts or filled with candy for special occasions.

[@martythorn3456]

My daughter told me she use square plates, and don't want thing that requires polishing ( no sterling silver items of any kind).. She told me if the item can't go in dishwasher because it is too delicate then she definitely don't want it. Hearing those words from her mouth to my ears really hurt my feelings. I had been given these traditional items from my mom who were gifted them from her mother through tradition. So you are correct our kids don't want the old stuff as part of our past traditions. So I had to LOL when you said our kids don't want our stuff. So I took all the things that she didn't want the the Goodwill Store. It appears that our kids ideas about family tradition is a lot different than ours. My daughter told me that she is living a minimalist lifestyle.

[@mysticmeadow9116]

How do I convince my husband it's okay to let these things go? He still has his childhood stuffed dog and cried when I sold my 1964 Ford pickup (breaks locked up and couldn't afford to fix, sat in the yard for 4 years.) It's like I have to sneek stuff out of the house and then I feel like I'm deceiving him.

[@elizabethglenbentley7882]

An excellent video!

[@kimberlysamuels9971]

Thank you. Great advice!

[@FayreeenAarow]

I would like to keep it all. Of course I can’t for lack of space ,And of course upkeep at my age and disabilities. It is most challenging to keep an organized and neat and clean home…. Decluttering is most hard ((get ing rid of sentimental things))., furniture that belong to my grandmother and mother, and now myself.😢…. and, of course, as you have said, my children does not want them. they want them but (they don’t want the furniture to belong to them). (They don’t want them in their house.)…. Most of this furniture is rickety because it’s old. And has got a lot of patina. Lol…. my children does not want these items in their home.!… but they want to enjoy these items in my home.lol…. Big problem. It is most difficult for me to let a stranger have these items.!😢😢😢

[@abbibrannan333]

Thanks so much, very helpful! 😊

[@PatriciaLane-x2p]

I’m taking pics and putting it all on disc or something for my daughter I’ve two big boxes of cards etc !

[@jenniferhawkins9020]

I'm 65 and have tended to go to my family and do the nice things... 4:31 now my joints and back are painful, I want to declutter, but I could use some help now...kids are too busy...

[@chrsitineadriaenssen6074]

No problem with throwing away😊

[@dustyflats3832]

We bought a place with more land for privacy but the house was less than we were use to and it feels closed in at times. I also have sentimental things from both the folks passing. I have a lot of books, and things I will never use that have an attachment. It was a thought that maybe I would get a larger place but the property taxes are outrageous everywhere and seems a change is not in the stars. However as I look around I really don’t have that much it’s just we don’t have enough storage. We use to have a garage and basement and I miss that and as soon as you make a change the assessor would be all too glad to send a larger Christmas card. So…I’m stuck. There very few things that could go. I do raise and preserve food so a spare room is our supply area and the other an office/library. Such are the times and we never know what’s ahead.

[@sharonzolna3375]

A really good video!!!!

[@dougk7075]

Good info. Thanks so much.

[@shelbychesnut99]

I have taken photos of all our items with either family history or value and put them in an album. This way, they will be able to tell the difference between something of value vs something from Target. I have explained that I understand they may not have the same attachment to the item because I have the memories attached to the person or event associated with the item.

[@GB-yn6np]

I find it hard to let go of most things but in particular things I can use to create art, craft etc. Any helpful suggestions?

[@forthebestresultsonalldevices]

I hate dealing with peopl and the thought of selling something on FB marketplace makes me go numb. I dont want to throw the stuff away, so how do I deal with it?

[@samme1024]

You can donate it to a thrift store. There's also eBay for smaller items.

[@samme1024]

You could also have a Yard Sale.

[@wendylang2360]

If you have someone you trust that is good with people, then offer them a percentage of what they sell your stuff for (or if they have a charity they might do it to raise money for that). They can do the Facebook thing or have a yard sale. Once you've decided you are willing to part with things, let go of anything that doesn't sell. Donate it, don't store it. 😢❤😊

[@kathleenrose4820]

Arts and crafts I spent a lot of time, money, and effort on. Other difficult items are unread books and magazines. Finally, various papers and documents that I may need to refer to for my profession, but maybe not ...

[@roxannedebricassart9870]

Thank you!

[@claudiak935]

Always see it's still good & i can or someone can use it .But it may not get to be used or given to someone..to use so it becomes a cluttered mess..." hard to let it go..." physical or a mindset. To organize.. goes to one place, to another..cluttered space or in a box to sort later 🙃

[@kerrybyers257]

Kids just don’t want “home” to change. It’s their comfort blanket. But that same blanket suffocates us as we age.

[@loribliss8692]

Getting rid of my clothes is difficult for me. I do know that I have more clothes than most people. All the closets are full of my clothes. 😊

[@Barbara-er1co]

Dolls. I collected. Over my life. I donated to auctions. To people with out dolls children. I still have hundreds.

[@youdontwanttoknow5203]

Um...your kids don't want your stuff - unless they *need* it. Or unless it's something that would be a treasure to them. What I resented was Mom giving all the things back to me that I'd given her long before she died. I felt like I'd done something to offend her. Some things I gave her she never treasured - things I gave her during times that she was struggling and I was trying to lift her up. Those things I never got back. She either tossed them or gave them to someone else. She was hurtful. I could have used some of her furniture - like her bed - because I had nothing for anyone to sleep on if they needed to sleep overnight. No guest bed. Bedroom, yes. Bed, no. Her furniture ended up at the second hand store. My family was just plain rude about it. They never asked if I could use it. I would have loved her recipe book, but I have no idea what was done with it.

[@rubyfretwell7080]

Great video! Thanks.

[@theresecook-bright1757]

I have empty containers waiting for the contents. I eventually use them..

[@miriam123]

My problem is that my husband wants to keep it all because he thinks we will need it to take of us if the war starts. He is 84 and makes it difficult to be uncomfortable to let go. What do you suggest?

[@Ray-r5j9u]

I have two cluttering weaknesses. I live in the country. Tools and information.

[@shirleypatten6212]

Don't get rid of your tools, especially if they're decades old. If they're small enough, store them in tool boxes. They don't leave that much of a footprint. And why pay inflated prices for a lesser quality if the ones you have are well made. I gave two tool boxes of household and automotive tools that I had received from a friend's estate to my one son, who said he had no need of them. I told him to check with my other son and if he couldn't use them to give them back to me. I can't imagine how much all those tools are worth in this current market.